Born in Oklahoma, Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel was a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who joined the University of Oklahoma Sooners football team as a linebacker and then played professional football for the Houston Oilers, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers before embarking full-time on his professional wrestling career. McDaniel made a name for himself wrestling in Houston and feuding with the likes of Boris Malenko and Dory Funk Jr. However, he soon left Houston for the American Wrestling Association and engaged in a notorious feud with "Superstar" Billy Graham and later feuded with Ric Flair (with the two swapping the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship title back and forth during the mid-'70s). In his autobiography, To Be the Man, Flair called McDaniel "the single greatest influence on my wrestling career." During the 1980s, McDaniel feuded regularly with the likes of Tully Blanchard, Roddy Piper and Sgt. Slaughter. In 1986, McDaniel captured the NWA National Heavyweight Championship after defeating Blanchard. McDaniel was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame in 1995, retired from the ring in 1996 and died from complications related to diabetes in 2002.

I made my very first trip to Japan with Wahoo in 1975. I was new to the Japanese style and Wahoo made sure I was prepared every night for six weeks. We worked many times in the states through the following years and became close friends. I miss him very much.

william - 2008-07-13 20:02:43

wahoo was the most underrated and underused wrestlers in the last 50yrs i think that they should have let him won the heavyweight belt sometimes

mykultucker42 - 2009-03-09 18:24:16

I HAD THE HONOR TO MEET CHIEF WAHOO MCDANIEL 2 TIMES AND HE WAS A GREAT MAN AND VERY HUMBLE. REST IN PEACE CHIEF WAHOO MCDANIEL I REALLY DO MISS YOU.

Anonymous - 2009-04-06 22:00:59

Chief McDaniel made an appearance in Killeen, TX at the old Samuel J. Clemens Boys' Club in the mid-70's. My dad was working security there that night and I had the privilege of meeting Chief McDaniel...Fritz Von Eric...and several other "old timers" It was a humbling experience to get to meet these gr8 men as a young, Native American child;...I'll never forget it...I had the poster until it was destroyed in a house fire in 91...RIP Chief McDaniel

wade - 2009-12-05 00:22:16

the man was a fan favorite, loyal to the wrestling organizations for whom he worked, a very big star around the world and yet he was not allowed to have the big titles he so deserved..wrestling will never wash that bad taste from their mouths

Dave K - 2010-01-05 00:45:23

i have a 1967 football card of Wahoo i thought it was the coolest card i had at the time. RIP

Ernie - 2010-02-15 09:42:29

Tremendous all-around athlete - great defensive lineman, fantastic wrestler, and legit tough guy who was pretty quiet unless he had a reason to get pissed off; then watch out! Also one of only a handful of real Native American "Indian" wrestlers in history. This is also apparently true: he was coached in Little League baseball by George H. W. Bush as a child.

sara jane mcdaniels - 2010-04-02 18:33:45

miss you dad all of us do, we love ya, you will always be my hero. your grandchildren and your great grandchildren now have a path the one their grandfather has made for all of us. miss your smile, the way you tried to look mean but was laughing inside how you tried to act mad and we saw right through it. when we were called pinquins and you took off your shoes walked with us and said so am I. the way you would play with us on the floor and your big gentle heart, our big teddy bear. we luv dad and so does mom. luv ya, katchina

sara jane mcdaniels - 2010-04-02 18:33:45

miss you dad all of us do, we love ya, you will always be my hero. your grandchildren and your great grandchildren now have a path the one their grandfather has made for all of us. miss your smile, the way you tried to look mean but was laughing inside how you tried to act mad and we saw right through it. when we were called pinquins and you took off your shoes walked with us and said so am I. the way you would play with us on the floor and your big gentle heart, our big teddy bear. we luv dad and so does mom. luv ya, katchina

Deborah Cannon Speight - 2010-07-11 07:55:40

Wahoo was a awesome wrestler. He would pick up Melinda everytime he saw her and carry her around with him. I'm doing a Mini Bio - Memory book on Wahoo. I have some great pictures of him that was sent to me. I hope to have the outline done so I can take it with me when I go to the legends reunion this year. I would love for Wahoo's family to be a part of this book. If you would like to add a menory or match or both My email address is ijus4u@embarqmail.com

sara jane mcdaniels daughter - 2010-09-18 16:05:30

dad, I will always love you, we your children and grand children you will always be in our hearts. my father started out being a football player and went into wrestling, we didn't care what his occupation was so long as he was happy. dad u were there when others were not. we will never forget the love u showed all that crossed your path. your kachina

anonymous - 2010-12-28 01:41:40

who the heck is sara jane mcdaniels i just have to laugh at some of these people does she even know who she is calling dad lol

Dale - 2010-12-28 12:31:56

Wasn't Wahoo McDaniel a real live Indian?

kafabe - 2011-03-16 12:48:55

Wow. Another loss to the wrestling family. Fond memories of N.C. Rick, Wahoo, Renee, Portz, 4th of July 1976. God bless. Dana and Tracy, I think of you both quite often.

Littlebit30 - 2011-06-19 14:32:17

I Saw Wahoo McDaniels Fight when i was a little girl with Scott Casey That Was My First Time I Ever Got to see Them fight together in odessa texas it was awesome rest in peace wahoo Sara Jane your Dad was a great man I Hope your Kids And Grandkids are just like your father was.

frank poole - 2011-11-06 11:40:41

wow i did no tknow he has past away until i looked him up so sorry tofind out he was not with us. we our family in danville va saw hime amny time and we even hade dinner with him chicken calfe" in danville my grandpaw and his family wee so how related to him. I went to every match i could get into he was a very nice and honest man according to my grandpaw who was chreeokee we had lots of fun going around him at the dinner we will pertend we were cowboy and pretending to shoot him and othere thing we did as kids he was like a another grandpaw we never had

Anonymous - 2012-12-29 18:35:24

rip i miss you

Big Trent Calhoun - 2014-02-05 18:50:34

I know Wahoo had a wrestling school in Charlotte called Wahoos Chop Shop. I wonder if anyone took it over after he passed.

Aretha Henson - 2014-09-02 21:35:19

Oh I had forgotten about my wrestler mr wahoo McDaniel. He was the greatest.

lupita gutierrez /edinburg,texas 78539 - 2014-11-09 15:44:40

Ive always loves wrestaling ever since i was a kid. In fact all of my family r wrestlers fans. And Mr. Wahoo Mc Daniels,was one of our favorites we miss u alot n i hope u r in heaven watching these fools we have today as wrestlers. Even tho its a sport we look forward to on monday and friday nite raw.